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Public Transportation Safety

Safety on the NYC Subways

Remember that when you're on the platform, the safest place to wait is behind the yellow line, away from the edge.

Be careful not to display money in public.

Hold on to your pocketbook when using the shoulder strap.

Keep your wallet out of sight and never put your wallet in your rear pocket.

Be sure your necklaces and other jewelry are not visible.

Do not doze or fall asleep on the train.

Beware of loud arguments or noisy incidents. They could be staged to distract you in order to pick your pocket.

Smart Tips for Riding Safely at Night

Every station has an off-hours waiting area. Off-hours waiting areas may be located near the station booth, on the middle level in a two-level station or on the platform. These well-lit areas are marked by yellow signs usually hung from the ceiling.

Try to wait for your train in an off-hours waiting area when you travel at night. You'll usually find a bench and a public telephone there (911 calls are free).

In stations where you can't see the platform from the off-hours waiting area, an electronic sign alerts you to the arrival of a train. Once the sign indicates that a train is coming, you'll have enough time to reach the platform, so we suggest you wait near the sign.

Off-hours waiting areas that are not in sight of the station agent have a ‘talk-back box’. You will find talk-back boxes mounted on station columns. You can talk to the station agent using the talk-back box.

There are closed-circuit television cameras in off-hours waiting areas that are not in sight of the station agent. The camera enables the station agent to see you on the platform if you use the talk-back box.

Try to avoid waiting at the far end of a platform at any time, especially when the station isn't busy. Wait toward the middle of the platform.

Ride in the conductor's car when you travel at night. In most instances, you'll find a conductor's car in the middle of the train.

At night, NYC transit sometimes runs trains with fewer cars. Look for a black and yellow platform sign that tells you where to board the conductor's car on short trains.

Some short trains have no conductors, only train operators. Please board these short trains in the first car to ride with the train operator.